Please visit our Reports and Documents Library to view all FER related documents, reports and policies such as committee recommendations, BPU strategic policies for energy resources and implementation plans and schedules.
The electric power industry is changing dramatically to reduce its emissions of carbon dioxide and other “greenhouse”
gases. The Board of Public Utilities (BPU) established in 2013 a goal for the Department of Public Utilities “to be a carbon neutral electric provider by 2040.”
To assist in reaching that goal, BPU formed a Future Energy Resources ad hoc citizens advisory committee (FER) to (1) Examine and recommend a definition of carbon neutrality for the County, (2) Study and recommend future clean energy generation resources, and (3) Study and recommend policy toward distributed generation in the County.
In July 2015, the FER Committee presented their final report to the BPU. In January 2016, the BPU adopted a Strategic Policy for Electrical Energy Resources and a definition for carbon neutrality. In March, they adopted a Strategic Policy for Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and Rate Structure. The BPU also directed the Utilities Manager to schedule and develop a preliminary implementation plan for the five highest priority items from the adopted FER recommendations, to be followed by a completed integrated implementation plan no later than June 2017.
Given the complexity of the various recommendations, it is expected that plans will continually be reviewed and adjusted as more information, conditions and costs become available. Department staff will report regularly to the BPU as efforts progress.